Recently, neutrophils became known to participate in the damage of cancer cells. As some cancer tissues are observed to have been infiltrated with neutrophils, it is believed that neutrophils respond to chemotactic factors secreted from cancer cells.
LECT2 (Leukocyte-derived chemotaxin 2) was discovered during the search for such chemotactic factors secreted from cancer cells, and this seems to be a chemotactic factor which has been obtained from a culture supernatant of T-cell leukemia cell SKW-3.
Human LECT2 was newly discovered as a protein having equal to or more than 90% homology to bovine LECT2 based on human cDNA libraries, using DNA coding LECT2 in bovine serum which is included in a culture supernatant of T-cell leukemia cell SKW-3. From the following Table 1, the amino acid sequence of the human LECT2 can be compared with that of the bovine LECT2.
TABLE 1 1 5 10 15 SEQ ID NO:1 HUMAN LECT2 Met Phe Ser Thr Lys Ala Leu Leu Leu Ala Gly Leu Ile Ser Thr BOVINE LECT2 20 25 30 SEQ ID NO:9 HUMAN LECT2 Ala Leu Ala Gly Pro Trp Ala Asn Ile Cys Ala Gly Lys Ser Ser BOVINE LECT2 Gly Pro Trp Ala Ile Ile Cys Ala Gly Lys Ser Ser SEQ ID No: 9 35 40 45 HUMAN LECT2 Asn Glu Ile Arg Thr Cys Asp Arg His Gly Cys Gly Gln Tyr Ser BOVINE LECT2 Asn Glu Ile Arg Thr Cys Asp Gly His Gly Cys Gly Gln Tyr Thr 50 55 60 HUMAN LECT2 Ala Gln Arg Ser Gln Arg Pro His Gln Gly Val Asp Val Leu Cys BOVINE LECT2 Ala Gln Arg Asn Gln Lys Leu His Gln Gly Val Asp Val Leu Cys 65 70 75 HUMAN LECT2 Ser Ala Gly Ser Thr Val Tyr Ala Pro Phe Thr Gly Met Ile Val BOVINE LECT2 Ser Asp Gly Ser Thr Val Tyr Ala Pro Phe Thr Gly Ile Met 80 85 90 HUMAN LECT2 Gly Gln Glu Lys Pro Tyr Gln Asn Lys Asn Ala Ile Asn Asn Gly BOVINE LECT2 Gly Gln Glu Lys Pro Tyr Lys Asn 95 100 105 HUMAN LECT2 Val Arg Ile Ser Gly Arg Gly Phe Cys Val Lys Met Phe Tyr Ile BOVINE LECT2 Ile Ser Gly Gly Gly Phe Cys Ile Lys 110 115 120 HUMAN LECT2 Lys Pro Ile Lys Tyr Lys Gly Pro Ile Lys Lys Gly Glu Lys Leu BOVINE LECT2 Tyr Lys Gly Ser Ile 125 130 135 HUMAN LECT2 Gly Thr Leu Leu Pro Leu Gln Lys Val Tyr Pro Gly Ile Gln Ser BOVINE LECT2 Val Tyr Pro Gly Ile Gln Ser 140 145 150 (SEQ ID NO:9) HUMAN LECT2 His Val His Ile Glu Asn Cys Asp Ser Ser Asp Pro Thr Ala Tyr BOVINE LECT2 His Ile His Ile Glu Asn Cys Asp Leu Ser Asp Pro Thr 151 HUMAN LECT2 Leu (SEQ ID NO: 1) BOVINE LECT2
Since the human LECT2 is believed to be a chemotactic factor similar to the bovine LECT2 and its applications to grasping disease conditions and to treatment of cancer are expected, a method for measuring the human LECT2 has been desired to be established.
At first, the bovine LECT2 and the human LECT2 used to be called LECT2a and LECT2b, respectively. However, these names were thought to be inappropriate and therefore changed.
The present invention is presented in respect of the aforementioned background, aiming to provide antibodies against human LECT2, cells for producing them and a method and a kit for measuring the human LECT2.